Exploring the sequence determinants of amyloid structure using position-specific scoring matrices

Nat Methods. 2010 Mar;7(3):237-42. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.1432. Epub 2010 Feb 14.

Abstract

Protein aggregation results in beta-sheet-like assemblies that adopt either a variety of amorphous morphologies or ordered amyloid-like structures. These differences in structure also reflect biological differences; amyloid and amorphous beta-sheet aggregates have different chaperone affinities, accumulate in different cellular locations and are degraded by different mechanisms. Further, amyloid function depends entirely on a high intrinsic degree of order. Here we experimentally explored the sequence space of amyloid hexapeptides and used the derived data to build Waltz, a web-based tool that uses a position-specific scoring matrix to determine amyloid-forming sequences. Waltz allows users to identify and better distinguish between amyloid sequences and amorphous beta-sheet aggregates and allowed us to identify amyloid-forming regions in functional amyloids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amyloid / chemistry*
  • Benchmarking
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Amyloid